Ukrainian drone attack prompts partial evacuation in Russian town

A partial evacuation has been ordered in Toropets, a town of 11,000 to the northwest of Moscow, where “fragments” of a downed Ukrainian drone started a fire, Tver Region Governor Igor Rudenya said in the early hours of Wednesday.

Local air defenses were activated to intercept an enemy UAV, Rudenya said, adding that emergency services are responding to the blaze caused by “falling drone fragments.”

The governor has ordered “partial evacuation of residents from the territory where the air defenses are active and responders are working to contain the fire,” according to a statement from his office. There are no reports of casualties.

A total of 54 Ukrainian drones were destroyed overnight in five Russian regions, the Defense Ministry said, as quoted by the TASS news agency.

A kamikaze drone hit a bus in the border city of Shebekino, injuring four civilians, Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. The city, with a pre-conflict population of 40,000, has been frequently shelled and attacked by drones since 2022.

Ukraine has stepped up its drone raids deep inside Russia in recent months, mainly targeting energy infrastructure, but also hitting residential areas. Earlier this month, UAVs struck three tall apartment blocks in the city of Ramenskoye outside Moscow, killing one person and injuring three others.